10 Best Local Dishes and Desserts from St Tropez

Bouillabaisse is a fish soup native to Marseille that consists of at least 4 different types of fresh fish. It usually includes gurnard, scorpionfish and eel, all seasoned with saffron, olive oil, leeks, garlic, tomatoes, onions and herbs. In the French Riviera, it’s usually eaten at lunch with a glass of rosé, followed by a siesta.

St Tropez and Provencal locals eat bouillabaisse in a particular order, starting with the broth before digging into the fish and finally feasting on a large quantity of rfwouille (a spicy saffron garnish) with croutons. If you’re visiting St Tropez, we recommend dining at the longstanding Chez Camille restaurant, where bouillabaisse is a menu highlight.

Daube is a slow-braised beef stew. While recipes can vary between different households in Southern France, the Provencal daube usually consists of 2 or 3 cuts of beef braised in red wine with garlic, herbs and vegetables, served with gnocchi or polenta. Some variations include prunes and olives. For an extra kick of flavour, you can add flavourings like vinegar, duck fat, cinnamon and nutmeg.

For a spot of fine dining at a restaurant in Saint Tropez with daube on the menu, reserve a table at a top-rated venue like La Vague d'Or or Dior Des Lices. If you’d rather try daube in a local haunt, we recommend a diner such as Le Bagatelle or Bar du Port.

Ratatouille is a delicious vegetable casserole that contains onions, tomatoes, courgettes, garlic, peppers and herbs. It’s one of the most famous culinary exports from Provence. In St Tropez, Ratatouille is either served with bread or as a side with pork loin cutlets or steaks. Don’t be afraid to be liberal with olive oil to make your Ratatouille extra tasty.

If you want to try ratatouille during a stay in St Tropez, we recommend a waterside restaurant such as La Pesquiere Et Le Mazagran or the slightly higher-end La Bouillabaisse Plage Saint-Tropez.

Tarte tropézienne is a brioche-based cake filled with an orange-flavoured cream. Created in St Tropez by exiled Polisher baker Alexandre Micke in 1955, the Tarte Tropézienne was reportedly named by actress Brigitte Bardot while And God Created Women (1956) was being filmed. You’ll find this sweet treat in just about any bakery in St Tropez.

The authentic tarte tropézienne is made with a gourmet brioche and a combination of 2 smooth creams, coated with a generous dose of coarse sugar. Famous St Tropez bakeries that sell this delectable treat include La Tarte Tropézienne, Senequier, and Marcel and Cavazza.

Salade niçoise is a widespread staple hailing from the Côte d'Azur region, and it comes in many variations. Even so, it usually consists of salad leaves with tomatoes, boiled potatoes, quartered boiled eggs, tuna, local olives and anchovies. It’s made extra flavourful with a dressing of a traditional vinaigrette. You can either eat this salad on its own or as a sandwich with pan bagnat bread.

Top-rated cafés and restaurants that serve a delicious salade niçoise in St Tropez include L’Olive, Le Schpountz and Le Café. If you want to make a traditional salade niçoise at home, remember to include raw veggies such as corn and green peppers.

Socca is a pancake-like dish made by baking a dough of olive oil and chickpea flour on a cast-iron pan, seasoned with either sweet or savoury toppings. Along the French Riviera, you’ll find socca being widely served, at everywhere from restaurants through to street stalls and markets. It can be enjoyed in the morning, as an aperitif, or as a light meal with salad or cheese.

While the authentic socca hails from Nice, you can order this delicious dish from esteemed St Tropez venues such as Dior Des Lices and at the Place des Lices Market, which takes place every week on Tuesday and Thursday.

Pissaladière is Provence’s answer to the pizza. It is a thin-crusted dough topped with caramelised onions, herbs and anchovies, with olives being a popular addition. Pissaladière is enjoyed as a starter, snack, aperitif or light lunch, and you can purchase a slice of this delicious treat at just about any bakery or market in St Tropez.

St Tropez locals usually use fresh yeast from the market to make pissaladière, but you can simplify the recipe by using active dry yeast instead. Just like pizza, tomatoes work well as a topping for pissaladière, and you can avoid using anchovies if you don’t like the salty fish flavour.

Aïoli, on its own, is a mayonnaise sauce made with olive oil and crushed garlic. But when served as a side with boiled eggs, raw or boiled vegetables, and shellfish or fish fillets, it becomes the centrepiece of a meal known as aïoli provençal complet or aïoli garni. In St Tropez, aïoli is a popular starter, especially during summer. It also goes great as an aperitif with white wine or a glass of pastis.

Aïoli is a menu highlight at esteemed St Tropez restaurants including La Bouillabaisse Plage Saint-Tropez and La Pesquiere Et Le Mazagran. You can also make a simple version of aïoli at home by slowly mixing olive oil into a blend of eggs, chopped garlic, canola oil and lemon juice.

Pistou soup is the Provencal alternative to Italian minestrone. The soup is a broth of beans and pasta with garlic, basil and olive oil added when served, topped off with a delicious cheese such as parmesan. You can order this vegetarian-friendly meal in restaurants throughout St Tropez and the French Riviera, particularly over summer when seasonal veggies are available.

Pistou Soup is an ideal starter or light meal. We also recommend ordering it with a local fougasse, an olive oil-rich flatbread that doubles up as an excellent dipping utensil.

Crêpe Suzette Grand Marnier is a delectable dessert that comes with a dash of drama. French crêpes are covered in a beurre Suzette sauce of sugar, orange juice and caramelised butter, and spiked with Grand Marnier triple sec. In many St Tropez restaurants, these delicious treats are flambé cooked, though the sauce can be modified to work without an expert chef’s flambé touch.

While you’re visiting St Tropez, we highly recommend trying a Crêpe Suzette Grand Marnier at the Creperie Grand Marnier, which has been serving this delicious dessert since 1959. The lemon sugar and caramel variations always go down a treat.